Edge trimmer



v ing complicated movements to operate.

Patented Jan. 28, 1941 UNITED STATES raTENr OFFICE EDGE TRIMMER tion of Missouri Application February 1, 1940, Serial No. 316,753

6 Claims.

The invention relates to rotary cutters such as are used in shoe nshing machinery and more particularly to edge trimmers used in trimming the edges of shoe soles.

The trimming .operation usually is performed after the soles: have been stitched to the uppers and, since the soles. vary considerably in thickness, edge'trimmers are provided with cutters of various widths to conform to the thickness of the shoe sole ranging from womens thin soled shoes to mens thick soled workl shoes. The cutters have a series of teeth arranged on the periphery thereof, and the teeth include a sole edge engaging portion and a portion inclined thereto.`

The angle of inclination between the portions differs in various cutters and depends on the kind of shoe being trimmed and other factors.

The edge trimmer includes also a guard having lugs which mesh with the teeth of the cutter and which are inclined at an angle thereto. lWhen the guard and cutter are positioned properlyrelative to each other, the guard lugs extend beyond the inclined portion of the cutter teeth. When the cutter is changed to accommodate soles of substantially different thicknesses, it may be necessary to change the guard with the cutter. In many instances, it is necessary to provide the cutters and guards in matched sets to insure accurate trimming of the shoe soles.

If the cutter and guard are not adjusted propcrly relative to each other, too large a portion of the soie corners may be cut away during the trimming operation.

To overcome this diiculty edge trimmers have been provided whereby the guard may be moved axially relative tothe cutters, but in the devices as used heretofore the adjustment was made by radial set screws or other mechanisms requir- For instance, when set screws are employed for this purpose, the shaft must be turned to a favorable position, and a screw driver is needed to release and tighten the screw. These movements require considerable time.

To overcome the diniculties of edge trimmers as used heretofore, my invention contemplates an edge trimmer comprising a cutter and a guard adjustable relative thereto. The adjusting mechanism is arranged so that when the guard is in adjusted position relative to the cutter, the guard automatically remains in that'position.

One object of this invention is to provide an edge trimmer wherein the guard may be adjust- K ed to expose portions of the cutter teeth corresponding in width to the thickness of the sole being trimmed.

Another object is to provide an edge trimmer wherein the guard may be adjusted manually relative to the cutter without the use of tools or devices.

, A more specific object is to provide an edge trimmer wherein the guard will be maintained in adjusted position automatically relative to the cutter.

Other objects and advantages will appear from the following description of the structure illustrated in the accompanying drawing in which:

Figure l is a side elevation of an edge trimmer constructed according to this invention.

Figure 2 is a longitudinal section taken on the line 2-2 of Figure l.

Figure 3 is a detail similar to Figure 2 but showing the parts in a different position.

Figure 4 is an exploded view of the edge trimmer showing the parts separated.

The general arrangement corresponds to that shown in Patent No. 2,162,944, issued June 20, i939, to the present applicant and includes a shaft I journalled in a bearing 2 of the finisher. Shaft I includes a spindle 3 threaded at 4 and terminating in a portion having a shoulder 5 and interiorly threaded at 6. A cylindrical casing 'I is threaded at one end to threaded portion e of spindle 3 so that casing 'I may be adjusted axially on spindle 3. A spacer 8 is mounted loosely on spindle 3 and is arranged thereon so that one end of the spacer abuts casing 'I at the threaded portion and the other end of spacer 8 extends from the open end of the casing. Also mounted on spindle 3 and ab-utting the end of spacer 8 is a cutter 9 having a series of peripheral teeth 9a. each including a portion 9b substantially parallel to spindle 3 and a portion 9c inclined thereto. Cutter 9 is retained on spindle 3 by a collar i0 attached to the spindle by a screw I Ia threaded intothe end of the spindle. The periphery of the collar projects radially a short distance beyond the edges of the adjacent portions of the cutter teeth to protect the Shoe sole from the edges of the teeth.

Mounted freely on spacer B and adapted to move axially relative thereto is a sleeve II forming a support for a guard I2 threaded on the end ofthe sleeve adjacent cutter 9. Guard l2 comprises a series of lugs ia with their outer ends arranged at an angle to spindle 3 and extending radially between cutter teeth Sa, thus overlapping a portion of cutter 9. Guard I2 may be moved axially relative to cutter 9 and spacer 8 by rotating sleeve I I relative to guard I2, thereby varying the portion of guard I2 overlapping cutter 9 to change the effective width of the cutter exposed to the work surface. Throughout the description, by th-e phrase effective width of the cutter is `meant the portion of cutter 9 exposed to the Work surface when guard I2 is free to move toward cutter 9 and sleeve 8 abuts the cutter.

Encircling spacer 8 and abuting a flange I3 formed at the end thereof, remote from cutter clined portions of the cutter teeth to turn the corner of the sole.

Guard I2 and sleeve II are prevented from rotating relative to each other and are maintained in adjusted position with cutter 9 by a frictional device comprising a plurality of steel balls I positioned in openings I6 in guard I2 and maintained inY engagement with the threaded portion of sleeve II by a resilient split ring I1 arranged in a groove I8 in guard I2. Fastened securely to guard I 2 and positioned in the groove formed therein is a pin I9 located between the ends of ring I1 to hold ring I1 against movement relative to guard I2 and thereby prev-ent the gap between the ends of ring I1 aligning with one of balls I5 and rendering the latter ineffective or making it possible for the ball to be lost.

To limit movement of sleeve II and guard I2 axially on spindle 3 when the cutter is removed therefrom, a screw 20 is threaded into casing 'I and engages a ange 2I formed at the end of sleeve II remote from guard I2 and positioned within casing 1. Also, casing 1 is provided with an oil opening 22. The peripheries of sleeve I I and cylindrical casing 1 are knurled to provide a firm grip for the operator.

The device operates as follows:

When shoes having soles of various thicknesses are to be trimmed, the exposed face of the cutter may be adjusted so that the effective width thereof corresponds to the width of the work surface by rotating sleeve II relative to guard I2 whereby guard I2 moves axially of sleeve II toward or away from cutter 9, thus varying the portion of guard I2 overlapping the cutter. In operating position cylindrical casing 1 is positioned on spindle 3 so that it engages the end of spacer 8 and forces the spacer into abutment with cutter 9 whereby the cutter is locked to and rotates with spindle 3. When it is necessary to replace cutter 3,l casing 1 is rotated on threaded portion 4 of spindle 3 to release cutter 9 from the locking thrust of spacer 8 whereby screw IIa may be readily loosened and, with collar I0 and cutter 9, may be removed from the spindle. Guard I2 is maintained in position relative to cutter 9 by compression spring I4 which thrusts sleeve I I yieldingly into abutment with cutter 9.

From the above description it will be apparent that an edge trimmer constructed according to 'this invention may be adjusted so that the effective width of the cutter corresponds to the width of the work surface without removing or replacing the cutter or guard. Also, adjustment of the guard relative to the cutter may be made manually without the use of screws, nuts, screw drivers, wrenches, or other like elements and tools. For this reason shoe soles of various widths may be trimmed quickly and easily on an edge trimmer constructed according to this ini vention.

While I have described one embodiment of the invention, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that other arrangements may be used without deviating from the scope of the invention as defined in the accompanying claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In an edge trimmer device, a cylindrical casing open at one end and threaded at the other end for application to an operating shaft, a spacer in said casing with one end abutting the inner threaded end of said casing and with its other end projecting beyond the open end of said casing, a cutter having a face abutting said spacer, a sleeve mounted on said spacer to move longitudinally thereof and having an end abutting said cutter, and a cutter guard overlapping a portion of said cutter and threaded on said sleeve so that the portion of said guard overlapping said cutter may be varied.

2. In an edge trimmer device, a cylindrical casing open at one end and arranged at the other end for application to an operating shaft, a spacer slidable in said lcasing with one end abutting the inner face of the latter mentioned end of said casing and with its other end projecting beyond the open end of said casing, a cutter having a face abutting said spacer, a sleeve mounted freely on said spacer, a spring thrusting said sleeve into abutting relation with said cutter, and a guard on said sleeve and overlapping a portion of said cutter, said guard and sleeve being relatively adjustable longitudinally of the device so that the portion of said guard overlapping said cutter may be varied.

3. An edge trimmer device as described in claim 2 which also includes a 4friction device between the sleeve and guard for maintaining the guard in adjusted position on the sleeve.

4. An edge trimmer device as described in claim 2 which also includes a friction device between the sleeve and guard for maintaining the guard in adjusted position on the sleeve, said.

friction device comprising a plurality of balls movable radially in said guard, and spring means thrusting said balls against said sleeve.

5. In combination, a shaft, an edge trimmer cutter thereon, a part mounted to move axially of said shaft, a cutter guard carried on said part and arranged to overlap a portion of said cutter and being movable with said part axially'relative lto said cutter, yielding means thrusting said part towards said cutter, means operable by relative rotation of said guard and part for limiting the overlapping movement of said guard relative to f said cutter, and a friction device resisting such relative rotation to maintain said guard and part in adjusted position, said device yielding readily to manual rotation of saidy guard and part in opposite directions to accommodate adjustment of said guard and cutter.

6. In combination with an operating shaft, an edge trimmer cutter mounted thereon and having spaced teeth, a sleeve slidable longitudinally of said shaft, aspring thrusting 4said sleeve into abutting relationv with said cutter, and a guard on said sleeve and having elements projecting between and overlapping a portion of the cutter teeth to determine the effective width of said teeth, said guard-being adjustable on said sleeve relative to said cutter to vary the overlapping of -said elements and teeth, and friction means normally holding said guard and sleeve together so that they be moved as a unit towards and away from said cutter, said guard being movable manually relativek to. said sleeve by overcoming said friction means. v

ERNEST DUNFORD. 

